The bittersweet chocolate and almond cake is a symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. This decadent dessert combines the rich and intense flavor of bittersweet chocolate with the nutty sweetness of almonds, creating a harmonious balance that is both satisfying and sophisticated. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this article will guide you through the process of creating this delectable treat, providing tips and tricks to ensure a perfect outcome. From selecting the right ingredients to mastering the baking technique, we'll cover everything you need to know to create a bittersweet chocolate and almond cake that will impress your family and friends.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE WITH AMARETTI COOKIE CRUMBS
Here's a cake that comes together with the push of a button - butter, sugar, eggs and cocoa as well as dark chocolate, almonds and amaretti cookies are blended in a food processor. Although it looks like a brownie, the cake tilts toward a nut torte. It's low and sleek, simple, sophisticated and packed with flavor. The original recipe appeared in my debut cookbook, "Sweet Times," in 1991, and when I made it for Julia Child that year, I got her thumbs up. Over time, I haven't fiddled much with the recipe's basics, but these days I finish the cake with a glaze and a sprinkling of crushed amaretti for style and crunch. I prefer amaretti di Saronno by Lazzaroni for the cake, but other amaretti work well too. And don't be distressed if the cake develops a mound during baking (it happens now and then). Press it down with a spatula - it doesn't diminish this cake's deliciousness.
Provided by Dorie Greenspan
Categories cakes, dessert
Time 1h55m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Center a rack in the oven, and preheat to 350. Butter an 8-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the interior with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.
- To make the cake: Put the almonds, amaretti, sugar, cocoa and salt into a food processor, and process in short spurts, until the almonds and cookies are finely ground. Add the butter and eggs, and process, scraping the bowl occasionally, for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the melted chocolate a little at a time, pulsing after each addition. Scrape the bowl, and then pour the batter into the pan. Standing back (to avoid being showered by cocoa powder), rap the pan against the counter a few times, to break the largest bubbles in the batter.
- Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out streaky; the top of the cake will look dry and perhaps cracked. If the top has erupted in a couple of places - it happens - use a spatula to press down the bumps as best as you can. Let the cake rest on a rack for 15 minutes.
- Run a blunt knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto the rack, peel off the paper and turn right side up; cool to room temperature.
- When you're ready to glaze the cake, place the rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil - the drip-catcher.
- To make the glaze: Put the chocolate in a heatproof measuring cup with a spout or in a bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan (or do this in the microwave). Pour the cream over the chocolate, and stir gently until you have a smooth glaze.
- Pour the glaze over the cake, and use an offset spatula or knife to spread it over the top. Sprinkle over the crushed amaretti. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the glaze (which will always be soft). Serve the cake slightly chilled or at room temperature (my preference).
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 406, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 36 grams, Fat 29 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 14 grams, Sodium 155 milligrams, Sugar 25 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE
Fluffy white homemade frosting tops this rich chocolate almond cake. Sliced toasted almonds on top add a little crunch. -Sherri Gentry, Dallas, Oregon
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h10m
Yield 16 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sour cream and extracts; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. , For frosting, cream butter, sugar and extracts in a small bowl until smooth. Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over cake. Decorate with almonds.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 370 calories, Fat 15g fat (9g saturated fat), Cholesterol 68mg cholesterol, Sodium 386mg sodium, Carbohydrate 55g carbohydrate (39g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND CAKE
Provided by Michel Depardon
Categories Cake Chocolate Nut Dessert Bake Quick & Easy Almond Chill Bon Appétit France
Yield Serve 10 to 12
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool mixture to lukewarm.
- Finely grind 1/2 cup almonds, flour and salt in processor. Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in large bowl until thick, about 2 minutes. Fold in almond mixture, then chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (center will fall). Press edges down with fork to level top. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
- Cut around cake; remove pan sides. Beat cream in large bowl to firm peaks. Mound cream atop cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup almonds.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE AND TOASTED ALMOND CREAM
Steps:
- To make the cake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil, stirring, over high heat. Meanwhile, combine the chocolates and the butter in a medium bowl. When the sugar mixture boils, pour it over the chocolates and stir until blended. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the 11/2 tablespoons sugar and the eggs. Using a mixer set at high speed, whip the eggs and sugar until the mixture falls back onto itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon-like pattern when the beater is lifted. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and fold in with a spatula to lighten. Fold in the remaining egg mixture.
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Spray 6 (6-ounce) ramekins or 6 (2 by 3-inch) loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and place them in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them. Divide the batter among the ramekins, place the roasting pan in the oven, and add enough water to the pan to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out with just a few crumbs sticking to it, about 30 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and cream and heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Bring cream and almonds to a boil and store refrigerated for 24 hours. Strain, add vanilla and whip.
- PLATING: Dust plates with cocoa. Invert the ramekins onto the plates and add a scoop of the almond cream to each. Drizzle the chocolate over the cake and cream, sprinkle with chocolate curls, if using, and serve.
BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE
Provided by Ina Garten Bio & Top Recipes
Categories dessert
Time 1h30m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan.
- Place a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Put the butter and chocolate in the bowl, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts. Take the bowl off the heat and set aside.
- First, whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture, then whisk in the eggs, coffee, and salt, whisking until the mixture is combined and smooth. Sprinkle on the flour and fold it in with a rubber spatula until it's incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it on a sheet pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (see Cook's Note), until the top puffs up and cracks and the cake doesn't wobble when you jiggle the pan. (A toothpick will not come out clean.) Remove from the oven and cool completely on a baking rack. The cake will deflate as it cools. Run a small knife around the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the cake in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or crème fraîche.
CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND TIGER CAKE
This almond cake is based on financiers, the small, usually ingot-shaped cakes first made in Paris in the late 1880s. The pastry chef Lasne created and named them for his stockbroker clients, keeping them easy and neat to eat on the run - no fuss, no muss. Made with egg whites, ground nuts and a lot of melted butter, the recipe is invitingly riffable. My favorite take is the tigré, a round, chocolate-speckled cake topped with a dab of ganache. Years ago, I misread the name, and I've called them tiger cakes ever since. My play on the tiger is a large cake, a little less rich than the original, run through with chopped chocolate and covered with enough ganache to leave telltale smudges. Stockbrokers beware.
Provided by Dorie Greenspan
Categories cakes, dessert
Time 1h10m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and fit a circle of parchment paper at the base.
- Bring the butter just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the burner to keep the butter warm while you make the cake batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended. Add the almond flour and whisk. If the almond flour is lumpy, use your fingers to break up the clumps. Switch to a spatula and add the egg whites in 3 additions, stirring until the batter is smooth and easily flows off the spatula. Stir in the vanilla until incorporated. Add the butter in 3 additions, folding until it is completely incorporated and you've got a smooth batter with a light sheen. Stir in the chopped chocolate, mixing well. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
- Bake until golden brown, evenly risen and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 37 to 40 minutes. A tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and leave for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the sides of the pan, flip the cake over, remove the pan, peel away the parchment and invert the cake onto another rack. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving or covering with ganache.
- If you'd like, make the topping: Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Gently stir the chocolate and cream together until blended, thick and shiny. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula or kitchen knife to spread it across the cake. Scatter over the toasted almonds. Either leave the cake on the counter to allow the ganache to set a bit (it will never be really firm) or refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to set the chocolate. The cake is best at room temperature. Covered, it will keep for about 3 days at room temperature.
HELEN NASH'S CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE
Freshly squeezed orange juice is the surprising ingredient in this simple, family friendly Passover cake from the book "Helen Nash's Kosher Kitchen."
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan with margarine. Line the pan with parchment paper, and grease the parchment. Dust pan with 1 tablespoon potato starch; shake out excess.
- Fill a small saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and allow water to simmer. Place chocolate in a small heatproof bowl, and set over saucepan. Stir chocolate until melted, and set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream 1 cup margarine on medium speed, and add sugar gradually until the mixture is pale and bubbles appear, about 10 minutes.
- Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Lower the speed, and beat in cooled chocolate and orange juice. With a large rubber spatula, mix in cocoa powder, cognac, 1 1/2 teaspoons potato starch, lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla, and ground almonds.
- In a clean dry bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff. Fold half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Repeat with another quarter of the egg whites, then reverse the process, pouring the batter over remaining whites. Gradually fold together until egg whites are completely incorporated.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out slightly sticky, about 1 hour. Cool completely, and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, run a small, sharp knife around sides to loosen, and carefully remove springform ring. Transfer to a serving plate, dust with Passover powdered sugar, and garnish with sliced almonds. Note: This recipe has been adapted from Helen Nash's original to make one cake. To make two smaller cakes, prepare two 9-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pans, and divide the batter between them.
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & ALMOND CAKE
This dense, squidgy chocolate and almond cake is perfect for dessert. It's gluten-free - just ensure your cocoa powder and chocolate are, too
Provided by Barney Desmazery
Categories Dessert
Time 1h20m
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Stir, then leave to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, tip the eggs and sugar into a second bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 4-5 mins, or until thick and creamy. Add the mascarpone or soft cheese and vanilla, and continue to beat until everything is combined. Lightly fold in the cooled melted chocolate mixture until everything is one even colour, then fold in the almonds. Sift over the cocoa powder and a small pinch of salt, and fold in to combine.
- Scrape the cake batter into the prepared tin. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is puffed up and has cracked on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30-40 mins - it will deflate as it cools. Serve warm as a chocolate pudding, or leave to cool completely and enjoy as a fudgy brownie cake. Dust with extra cocoa powder before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 473 calories, Fat 37 grams fat, SaturatedFat 19 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 26 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 23 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 7 grams protein, Sodium 0.5 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Use high-quality bittersweet chocolate for the best flavor.
- Toast the almonds before using them to enhance their flavor.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy for a rich and moist cake.
- Fold the egg whites into the batter gently to avoid deflating them.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it.
- Use a simple ganache frosting for a classic and elegant look.
- Garnish the cake with additional toasted almonds or chocolate shavings for a finishing touch.
Conclusion:
This bittersweet chocolate and almond cake is a delicious and decadent dessert that is perfect for any occasion. With its rich chocolate flavor, nutty almond texture, and creamy ganache frosting, this cake is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. Whether you're serving it at a dinner party, a special event, or just as a treat for yourself, this cake is sure to impress.
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